Federal investigation into synthetic marijuana ring in North Texas

Dallas, Texas – A reported $2.8 million and several properties have been seized by authorities in connection with a federal investigation into the manufacturing of synthetic marijuana in North Texas. As reported by The Dallas Morning News, a federal lawsuit filed Thursday cited 11 locations of The Gas Pipe were included in the seizures as part of the efforts by federal authorizes to shut down a suspected criminal organization manufacturing the drug.

As noted in the report, federal agents arrested Lawrence Shahwan, whom they suspected to be the leader of the synthetic marijuana ring on May 9. Shahwan, who owns Sacred Sun Botanicals in Dallas, is accused in the forfeiture lawsuit of running a drug trafficking organization that made and sold the dangerous drug.

Gerald Shults and his daughter, Amy Lynn Herrig, who own The Gas Pipe, had not been criminally charged in connection with the investigation as of Thursday.

A law was signed in 2012 by President Barack Obama banning synthetic drugs.